This invention relates to devices for securing or retaining cable connectors in their mated positions to prevent accidental disconnection and, more particularly, it relates to devices for retaining elongate cable connectors in their mated positions.
Electrical cable connectors are well-known and widely used in electronic systems to connect various subsystems together. Such electrical connectors are often elongate and formed such that a row or a plurality of rows of contact elements are joined when the male and female elements of an overall connector are mated. In some connectors, electrical connection is made by male pins mating with corresponding female apertures. In other connectors, an elongate island in the male element supports a row or a pair of rows of side-by-side mounted ribbon-like contacts. The male ribbon contacts mate with corresponding female ribbon contacts mounted side-by-side in an island receiving aperture formed in the female element. Usually the ribbons or pins lie along axes that are orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the overall connector elements. And, usually, the cables enter the connector elements at one end. Prior art connectors formed in these and similar manners can make 50 or more separate electrical connections when the male and female elements are mated together. Such connectors are sold by Bunker Ramo Corporation of Oakbrook, IL 60521 under the trademark AMPHENOL and by Amp, Inc. of Harrisburg, PA 17105 under the trademark CHAMP. Other companies sell similar types of electrical connectors. These elongate electrical cable connectors are sometimes generically referred to as ribbon connectors. The invention was developed for use in conjunction with such connectors.
It is often necessary to secure elongate electrical cable connectors after the male and female elements are mated to prevent accidental disconnection. Previously, one common method of securing connectors used screws to clamp the fingers of the male and female elements together, or to clamp the elements to a circuit board or mounting panel receptacle. While this technique secures the connection, it has a number of disadvantages, particularly when used in a situation in which the connector elements are to be disconnected from time to time. Specifically, the fastening and unfastening of screws is a time-consuming, tedious process and, therefore, undesirable. Also, because of the generally small size of the screws used, it is easy to both strip the threads of the screws and lose screws. Even the use of a captive type screw is not entirely foolproof. Further, because of the space constraints in many locations, it is difficult to obtain easy access to connector screws using a screwdriver or other tool. The present invention is directed to providing an elongate electrical cable connector retaining device that overcomes these disadvantages.
More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a device for retaining elongate electrical cable connectors in their mated position.
A further object of this invention is to provide elongate electrical cable connector retaining devices which do not require screws and, which are inexpensive to manufacture and easy to install.
A still further object of this invention is to provide electrical connector retaining devices suitable for use with present forms of commercially available elongate electrical cable connectors without modification to the connectors.